Excellence and Choice in Learning Disability Services

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The Trust, in partnership with the voluntary sector, will support the furtherdevelopment of the supported employment model and supported employmentopportunities in Belfast.A multiagency partnership approach is already well developed which provides arange of training opportunities and real jobs for individuals with learningdisabilities throughout Belfast. The Trust has been instrumental in developingthis and will continue to view it as a high priority so that people with learningdisabilities can be supported into employment.As the largest employer in Belfast the Trust will engage proactively with others inthe sector in providing real job opportunities for adults with learning disabilities.4.0 HAVING ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IN THECOMMUNITY, INCLUDING SPECIALIST COMMUNITYTREATMENT AND SUPPORT SERVICES AND RESPITE4.1 What Equal Lives said about community support andTreatment:People with a learning disability should have access to the wide range ofspecialist health care services available in the community including neurologyservices, epilepsy nurse specialists and diabetes nurse specialists.Community based assessment and treatment services should be developed onan incremental basis to provide assessment and treatment of men and womenwith a learning disability who have specific mental health needs and/orchallenging behaviours.There is a need for Community Forensic Services to support the full range ofpeople with a learning disability in the community, including those who have beendischarged from hospital or released from prison.4.1.1 What the Trust Currently ProvidesIn Belfast, this strand of the service currently relies on 4 community learningdisability teams, supported by a very small specialist service for people with morecomplex difficulties.The community teams are made up of social workers, community learningdisability nurses and support workers with input from psychiatry, psychology andthe allied health professions. The teams assist people with learning disabilities tolive as independently as possible and to access the services that they need.4.1.2 Future plans for community treatment and supportThe service aims to provide this strand of the service in three different levels ortiers.11
Level 1Many people with learning disabilities do not need specialist services and shouldbe able to access the same health and social care services as the rest of thepopulation with little or no support. Individuals who are able to do this, maycontact staff in community teams from time to time for advice or to accessadditional support, e.g. how to find employment, but are likely to have minimalcontact with learning disability services.Level 2The community teams provide this tier of service. Their core role will remain oneof providing support to service users and their families, signposting individualstowards appropriate services and fulfilling statutory functions such as assessingand managing risk and vulnerability.Sometimes services that are available to everyone (mainstream services), needsome help from learning disability staff to be able to meet the needs of peoplewith learning disabilities. So the second tier of service also encompasses thesupport that the teams provide to mainstream services to make suitableadjustments in order for their services to be accessible to people with learningdisabilities. Examples of work already underway are in hospital neurologyservices and family and childcare services. Primary care services are anothergood example of people using mainstream services with minimal support. Thelearning disability service has been funded to begin assisting GPs with deliveringimproved health screening for people with learning disabilities. This is a positivedevelopment in helping people use ordinary services with minimal adjustments.Over time, the teams will be expanded to become fully multidisciplinary so thatpeople can more easily access the range of support that they need. Staff in theteams will develop service networks with other services such as dementia,addictions and services for older people with the aim of assisting people withlearning disabilities to get the same level of service as the rest of the population.Networks to support parents with learning disability and young persons leavingcare will also be further developedLevel 3This relates to specialist community services and in 2009/10, the expansion ofmore specialist community treatment services will begin. The investment willenable the development of a specialist community mental health team and theexpansion of the behavioural service. This will enable people with learningdisabilities in Belfast who require specialist mental health support to receive thisin a community setting.Existing specialist treatment options will be enhanced/ provided across the city ofBelfast. These options will include:Development of a service for people with learning disabilities who havecomplex mental health difficulties. This service will be developed from theexisting Hear to Help Service which currently delivers psychologicaltherapies and emotional support. The newly developed service will deliverboth assertive outreach and psychological interventions.12
Page 4 and 5: 1.0 ForewordWilliam McKee, Chief Ex
Page 6 and 7: Whilst the report acknowledged that
Page 9 and 10: 3.0. SOMEWHERE TO LIVE AND A FULLER
Page 11: This supports the concept of indivi
Page 15 and 16: Respite services will be developed
Page 17 and 18: 6.0 CONCLUSIONThis paper has highli
Page 19 and 20: Appendix 2Programme of consultation
Page 21 and 22: 1. Somewhere to live and a fuller l
Page 23 and 24: (d) Are there any other issues that
Page 25 and 26: Appendix 4Availability in other for
Page 27 and 28: Any service user or potential user

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